In a development that has sent shockwaves across diplomatic circles, The Times UK has obtained an internal Israeli military document detailing a sweeping contingency plan to forcibly relocate Gaza’s civilian population and destroy Hamas through direct military occupation if ceasefire negotiations fail.
According to the report, the plan — described as “Plan B” — outlines a three-phase strategy. It begins with the deployment of additional Israeli battalions to occupy Gaza fully, dividing the territory into five militarized “sterile zones.” Each would be cleared of Hamas fighters until, as the document states, there is “zero Hamas presence.”
The second phase centers on moving Gaza’s civilian population into controlled areas described by Defence Minister Israel Katz as “humanitarian cities.” Critics, including former Israeli prime ministers Yair Lapid and Ehud Olmert, have compared the proposal to “concentration camps.” The plan further suggests the creation of “deportation flights” for Gazans wishing to leave the enclave, coordinated through a new Bureau for Voluntary Emigration. Civilians would reportedly be flown out via Ramon Airport in Eilat to unnamed third-party countries — an initiative that human rights experts have condemned as tantamount to ethnic cleansing.
If diplomatic efforts collapse, the final phase of the plan authorizes a coordinated campaign with U.S. intelligence to assassinate Hamas leaders both inside and outside Gaza. Among those named as potential targets are Khalil al-Hayya and Khaled Mashal, senior Hamas figures currently based in Qatar, as well as Izz al-Din al-Haddad and Raed Saad — two commanders accused of masterminding the October 7, 2023, attacks that killed 1,200 Israelis.
The disclosure of the plan comes as negotiators from Israel and Hamas, led respectively by Ron Dermer and Khalil al-Hayya, meet in Egypt to finalize a U.S.-backed peace framework proposed by former President Donald Trump. The 20-point plan involves the release of Israeli hostages, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and the formation of a transitional Palestinian government excluding Hamas.
Despite the talks, both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu have issued stern warnings. Over the weekend, Trump told CNN that Hamas risked “complete obliteration” if it refused to yield control of Gaza.
The Times UK notes that the revelation of Israel’s contingency plan has reignited fears that Netanyahu’s government intends to maintain military operations in Gaza indefinitely, even if all hostages are freed. Legal scholars and international observers have drawn parallels between the proposed deportation measures and previous episodes of mass displacement in conflict zones, warning that such actions could breach international law.
Qatar, a key mediator in the ongoing talks, has already expressed alarm after an earlier Israeli assassination attempt in Doha killed six people, including a Qatari security officer. Netanyahu reportedly apologized to Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani to preserve the fragile negotiation channel.
As the peace discussions continue in Cairo, the leaked document underscores a grim possibility: that, despite diplomatic efforts, Israel’s military is preparing for a final and total confrontation — one that could permanently reshape the future of Gaza and its two million residents.
